He's the oneWho like all our pretty songsAnd he likes to sing alongAnd he likes to shoot his gunBut he don't know what it meansDon't know what it meansAnd I say yeah

--In Bloom, Nirvana

If there's one thing that's always amazed me, it's the number of artists that are absolutely ####ing awesome - but never make it in the marketplace.

You know what I mean, right? How many solo or group musicians have you heard and wondered why they are accountants during the day? How many sketch artists or painters have talent rivaling Warhol but have never been discovered - and are working an hourly job to make ends meet?

I was reminded of this a couple of years ago when Mrs. Capitalist joined me and some friends to go see the Atlanta-based Nirvana cover band named "Nevermind".

They were - absolutely great. The lead singer has hair like Kurt Cobain and the Mr. Rodgers-style sweater. But most importantly, they nailed the Nirvana sound.

WHY NOT THEM? Why can't you stream their stuff on Spotify/Pandora?

I thought a lot about that in the days that followed. Here's what I came up with.

Most of us don't have musical skill or artistic ability. So we're shocked when we hear it/see it and find it to be unique. But the real reason most artists don't make it has to do with originality/innovation.

Originals get paid. Innovators start new trends and cash in. When you really stop to think about it, it's that way in corporate America as well.

The guy I saw that night sounds like Kurt Cobain. But he and his band didn't create their own sound. So the marketplace doesn't reward them.

Let's take someone from the business world. There's a lot of people in American business that are as dynamic as Elon Musk - many are more dynamic. They interview well, are great in meetings and damn, are they great presenters. What's missing?

You're as good as Elon Musk on the powerpoint and in front of people. But your ideas? They're smaller.

Nevermind is to Nirvana as a smart executive is to Elon Musk. One wore the sweater first. The other followed.

It's the same thing in the business world. You're amazed by the presentation skills of Frank in Marketing, but he hasn't broken through.

Turns out those public speaking skills are missing one important ingredient for the payoff - original ideas.

I'm so happy because todayI've found my friendsThey're in my headI'm so ugly, but that's okay, 'cause so are youWe've broken our mirrorsSunday morning is everyday for all I careAnd I'm not scaredLight my candles in a daze'Cause I've found godHey, hey, hey